Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 1 of 6 Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Home > Research Program > Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests (RIR) respond to focused Requests for Information that are submitted to the Research Directorate in the course of the refugee protection determination process. The database contains a seven- year archive of English and French RIRs. Earlier RIRs may be found on the UNHCR's Refworld website. Please note that some RIRs have attachments which are not electronically accessible. To obtain a PDF copy of an RIR attachment, please email the Knowledge and Information Management Unit. 11 October 2013 BEN104596.E Benin: Conflicts between Vodun practioners and Christians; information on the group known as "Sakpata," as well as their initiation practices, including state protection for those who refuse to participate (2012-October 2013) Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Relationship Between Vodun and Christianity in Benin 1.1 Prevalence of Vodun Vodun [or Voudon] is the name through which Voodoo is known in Benin (Associate Professor 25 Sept. 2013; US 20 May 2013, 1; The Huffington Post 11 Jan. 2013). Vodun has been officially recognized as a religion in the country since 1996 (The New York Times 3 Feb. 2012; UN 9 Jan. 2009). Sources report that, according to the most recent census held in 2002, 17 percent of the population identified themselves as adherents of Vodun (US 20 May 2013, 1; Libération 6 Jan. 2012). Sources indicate that Vodun has a greater presence in the South of Benin (Visiting Assistant Professor 30 Sept. 2013; Postdoctoral Fellow in Anthropology 19 Sept. 2013). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an anthropologist who has lived and worked in several communities in Benin stated that the practice of Vodun is less prominent in the north of the country, where religious life is centered on Islam (20 Sept. 2013). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a postdoctoral fellow in Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen, whose research partially focuses on religion in Benin, including Christianity and Vodun, stated that ethnic groups in the south who practice Vodun notably include the Fon, Yoruba, Mina/Adja, Goun, Toffin, Nagot and associated groups (Postdoctoral Fellow 19 Sept. 2013). Several sources offered caution regarding generalization about Vodun practices, as these practices vary throughout the country, by region and by ethnic groups (Associate Professor 25 Sept. 2013; Anthropologist 19 Sept. 2013; Professor of African and African-American Studies 19 Sept. 2013). Sources indicated that practices could also vary within the same locality (Anthropologist 19 Sept. 2013; Professor of African and African-American Studies 19 Sept. 2013). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a visiting assistant professor at North Dakota State University, who has done field research on Vodun in Benin, went further, stating that while there might be some common elements depending on the region, "Vodun practices can vary from locality to locality, family to family, house to house, and even person to person" (Visiting Assistant Professor 30 Sept. 2013). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an associate professor of anthropology at Agnes Scott College, whose research focus includes Benin and Vodun as well as Christianity in Africa, explained that [w]hile there are indeed initiation procedures that will be similar across different parts of Benin, and there are associations of Vodun priests that share information and ritual procedures, Vodun is not an orthodox religion http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=454823&pls=1 4/25/2016 Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 2 of 6 with texts or documentation or liturgy. Therefore, there is bound to be plenty of variation between regions, ethnic groups, and individual priests. (Associate Professor 25 Sept. 2013) In addition, an article by the UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) indicates that it is difficult to obtain information about Vodun initiation practices (UN 9 Jan. 2009). The article states that "Voodoo rituals have long been inaccessible to anyone except disciples and priests," noting that initiates do not discuss their initiations (ibid.). The Anthropologist stated that there are no official, transparent processes regarding Vodun practices and that they are not overtly discussed (Anthropologist 27 Sept. 2013b). He explained that because of its secretive nature, "stories" circulate about Vodun, noting that some of these stories are the result of the "demonization" of Vodun by Christians (ibid.). He noted that while some stories may or may not be true, even Vodun practitioners will circulate and believe these stories (ibid.). The Associate Professor likewise stated that [t]here are stories that circulate about people (especially children and young women) undergoing involuntary initiation or even physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the Vodun leaders, though I cannot confirm the veracity or prevalence because, like much of the information associated with Vodun, these details would be known only by those group members who were present. (25 Sept. 2013) 1.2 Prevalence of Christianity Sources reports that according to the 2002 census, 27 percent of the population of Benin identifies as Catholic (US 20 May 2013, 1; Libération 6 Jan. 2012). As well, the CIA World Factbook states that the census identified approximately 10.4 percent of the population as Protestant (more specifically, 5 percent identified as Celestial Christians, 3.2 percent as Methodists, and 2.2 percent as other Protestants), and 5.3 percent of the population as "other" Christians (US 22 Aug. 2013). The US Department of State's 2012 International Religious Freedom Report specifies that groups forming less than five percent of the population include Methodists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses, Rosicrucians, Bahais, Baptists, Pentecostals and the Unification Church (US 20 May 2013, 1). The 2012 International Religious Freedom Report states that Christians are more concentrated in the southern areas of the country (ibid.). The Anthropologist stated that there are "many areas in the south that have been taken over by Pentecostal and Charismatic forms of Christianity" (27 Sept. 2013b). The Associate Professor added that "nearly all of Benin's political leaders, and the elite class in general, are Christian. Christian television programming dominates the airwaves, and the Christian holidays are the most frequent national holidays" (25 Sept. 2013). 1.3 Relationship Between Vodun and Christianity Multiple sources indicate that Vodun is also practiced among the Beninese population who identify as Christian or Muslim (Visiting Assistant Professor 30 Sept. 2013; US 20 May 2013, 1; Libération 6 Jan. 2012). The French daily newspaper Libération notes that Vodun is considered to be part of the cultural heritage of all Beninese (ibid.). Jeune Afrique, a weekly news magazine focused on Africa, reports that Beninese president Boni Yayi, an evangelical Christian who frequently invokes God in his speeches, nonetheless sent emissaries to the main Vodun deities when he gained power in 2006 (10 July 2012). Depending on the source, Vodun is said to be practiced by 40 percent (BBC 29 Nov. 2012), "more than half" (UN 9 Jan. 2009), or two thirds of Beninese people (The Guardian 30 Mar. 2008; The Economist 26 Jan. 2006). The New York Times explains that 20 percent of Beninese "practices pure Vodun, while another 40 percent embraces a form that incorporates Christian iconography" (3 Feb. 2012). Sources also indicate that there is an annual public holiday celebrating Vodun (The Huffington Post 11 Jan. 2013; BBC 18 Nov. 2011). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a visiting assistant professor of anthropology explained that the National Vodun Day has essentially the same status as Christmas, with banks and schools closed for the day (30 Sept. 2013). Sources also indicate that Vodun has economic importance in the country due to its impact on tourism (Anthropologist 20 Sept. 2013; Professor of African and African-American Studies 19 Sept. 2013). The BBC notes that there is a national museum dedicated to Vodun (18 Nov. 2011). 1.4 Conflicts Between Vodun Practitioners and Christians According to the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report, [t]here were reports of occasional conflict requiring police intervention between Voodoo practitioners and Christians over Voodoo initiation practices. In general these were peacefully resolved with assistance from local authorities. (US 20 May 2013, 2) http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=454823&pls=1 4/25/2016 Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 3 of 6 The Postdoctoral Fellow likewise stated that there were [translation] "infrequent" local conflicts between Vodun practitioners and Christian groups, particularly with evangelical Christians (19 Sept. 2013). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Professor of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University stated that the existence of conflicts can depend on the Christian groups involved, particularly in the case of Pentecostals (19 Sept. 2013). However, several sources also stated that the